John's Homecoming Talk

When I was young, my siblings and I used to walk to the local high school to use the swimming pool there. The pool had a high dive as well as a low dive, and on occasion I would climb the ladder to the high dive and stand at the top and look down into the depths of the pool below. Sometimes I gathered the courage to jump, and sometimes I couldn't take that last step, but rather turned around and went back down the ladder to safer ground. 

John was given the opportunity to speak in church today. He has spoken in other sacrament meetings in other wards over the last few months. He had his scriptures open. He opened his mouth to speak... and no sound came out. He tried again, but it seemed like his throat had closed up. He couldn't get the words out. He swallowed, licked his lips, opened his mouth again, but still, he couldn't convince the words to come. After a few minutes, the bishop stood up and put his arm around John and spoke to him quietly for a moment. John returned to his seat and the other recently returned missionary who had also been assigned to speak today gave his address for the next 25 minutes. After his words, when John was still unable to give his talk, the bishop again stood.

Our bishop spoke about the great love that he has for John. He talked about how years ago when he served in the Young Men's organization when John was a youth, he asked John what he was interested in, and John replied that he was interested in everything - and he truly is. The bishop talked about John's love for learning, and about his scholastic abilities. He also talked about the service that John has performed during the last few years as a missionary. 

After the meeting, several members of our ward family came up to John to express their love for him. I saw one brother who very rarely speaks an audible word at church come to speak to John. One sister sent me a text to tell me that "during [John's] silent testimony, [she] felt a distinct impression of the pure love of God and was reminded that Christ makes up the differences where ever we are." One of John's mission leaders who had come to support him expressed to me the thought that John is like Moses, who although slow of speech, was strong in the Spirit and acceptable before God. By the time we escaped from the chapel, I think John was thoroughly embarrassed by the attention he received, but I hope he could also feel the love and support of all who were there.

The following video was put together by John's Service Mission Leaders and was shown at his last mission conference.